Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice [Paperback]

Cynthia (Cyndi) Banks (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1412958326 | ISBN-13: 978-1412958325 | Publication Date: July 23, 2008 | Edition: 2nd

Following on the success of its First Edition which was praised for its comprehensive coverage and flexible organization, Criminal Justice Ethics, Second Edition continues to explore ethical dilemmas faced by criminal justice professionals and discusses how they might be resolved, covering codes of ethics for various players and providing applied examples in the form of illustrative real-life case boxes. The Second Edition also retains the unique, praised organizational style of the previous edition-covering the interaction of ethics and the criminal justice system in Part I to lay a foundation for the ethical theories and perspectives introduced in Part II.

New to this Edition

• Includes a new chapter in the Second Edition: “Ethics and the War on Terrorism” explores the very timely topic of terrorism, covering definitions of terrorism, restrictions of rights in the interests of national security, and the ethics of torture.
• Provides expanded treatment of important topics and offers global perspectives where appropriate: Readers will find more coverage of transparency and accountability in the criminal justice system and more comparative discussions showing how ethical challenges are addressed in other countries.
• Offers updated information throughout with a more accessible interior design and more robust pedagogy: Expanded coverage of timely topics and issues that impact the contemporary criminal justice system, including prostitution, drug abuse, abortion, homosexuality, human rights, terrorism, and the Patriot Act; a more appealing visual design; and helpful pedagogical features such as key terms, end-of-chapter cases and new feature boxes enhance student learning with this timely new edition.

Ancillaries

• Instructor Resources on CD featuring test questions, PowerPoint slides, and guidance on using the cases to stimulate classroom discussion, are available to qualified instructors by contacting Customer Care at 1-800-818-SAGE (7243) from 6 am – 5 pm, PT.
• A Student study site at www.sagepub.com/banks offers SAGE journal articles that allow students to delve deeper into areas of interest.

Chat with the author! Email Cyndi Banks at [e-mail].

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cyndi Banks is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northern Arizona University. She teaches courses on a range of subjects with a special focus on criminal justice ethics, juvenile justice, gender and crime, as well as comparative criminology. As well as being an accomplished academic, Dr. Banks in an expert consultant for overseas development projects in the justice sector and, in that capacity, as worked in Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, Iraq and, most recently, as a juvenile justice specialist with UNICEF in Sudan. In additional to this text, she is the author of four other books and has a new book in press concerned with the experience of institutionalization for juveniles in an institution in Alaska.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 2nd edition (July 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412958326
• ISBN-13: 978-1412958325
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Law > Ethics & Professional Responsibility

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Condition, October 15, 2011

By 

Rose - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice (Paperback)

book arrived in a great condition. i couldnt tell if it was new or used beacuse it hardly had marks and or signs of wearing.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great intro to ethics issues in the criminal justice system, April 15, 2011

By 

C. Conradt (Torrance, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice (Paperback)

I originally purchased this book as required reading for a Masters class in Criminal Justice Ethics and just finished it. Banks does a great job of underscoring most of the topics you'd expect to study with regard to ethics in this context including: the nature of policing excessive force by police, sex offender laws, prosecutors and the way they view ethics, torture of terrorism suspects, the death penalty, alternatives to incarceration like chemical castration, racial profiling by police and other racial discrimination within the justice system, suspect privacy rights, the conditions in supermax prisons, the incarceration of women, prison rape and society's indifference to it, the war on drugs and the incarceration surge it caused, defense attorneys and the ethics involved in representing the guilty, three strikes laws, and overall corruption within the system. In addition, she discusses different theories of morality including consequentialism and deontology, as well as virtue ethics and the connection between ethics and religion. The theories behind why we, as a society, punish and questions regarding whether our methods of punishment truly further our goals is also asked. Hedonism, egoism, and stoicism are also touched upon briefly as well as cultural relativism and cultural pluralism as it applies to judging the ethics of foreign laws.

It's a very quick read despite some of the heavy topics she covers, and the book is peppered with case studies and discussion questions to facilitate student discussion, but is not overly used.

I would have given the book five stars, except I found the chapter on virtue ethics and ethic of care to be a little less concise and more convoluted than the other chapters which were what I felt was an easy read.

The book is 317 pages without the references and index. It's ideal for a Bachelors level class, and a good basis for a Masters level class when combined with more in depth supplemental reading. What I liked most is that Banks provides history and theory for the issues she discusses, and also incorporates practical examples within the text using case studies and actual court cases to illustrate.

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat biased account, June 15, 2010

By 

David - See all my reviews

This review is from: Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice (Paperback)

I was assigned this book for a graduate-level criminal justice ethics course. The book is divided into two main sections. The first discusses practical applications of ethics, e.g., racial discrimination, ethical issues in law enforcement, etc. The second half of the book details the relevant ethical theories. The author notes that this arrangement is somewhat unorthodox and that the book can be started from either the first or second half depending on how the instructor wants to structure the course. I felt that the book is arranged well and that the examples, topic headings and sidebars were well done. My only real complaint is that the book appears to me (and several of my classmates) as anti-law enforcement. One gets the impression that the author has strong feelings on this issue. For an intro level text book that purports to provide "comprehensive coverage" of ethical topics, I do not think it appropriate for the author's biases to be as obvious as they are in this book. I don't know what alternatives there are so I cannot recommend one. I would suggest that anyone that is going to read, study or teach this book, address this bias up front.